The Metropolitan Cathedral in Asuncion is illuminated in the colors of the Paraguayan flag during evening prayers with Pope Francis on Saturday, July 11.

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Pope Francis prays at the Shrine of the Virgin of Caacupe on July 11.

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Paraguayan President Horacio Cartes, center left, and Argentinian President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, center right, attend a mass at the Shrine of the Virgin of Caacupe in Caacupe, Paraguay, on July 11.

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Pope Francis embraces two children as he speaks at the Acosta Nu pediatric hospital in San Lorenzo, Paraguay, on July 11.

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A member of the security detail holds an umbrella over Pope Francis upon his arrival in Asuncion on Friday, July 10.

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Pope Francis waves from a golf cart after visiting with prisoners in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, on July 10. The Pope wrapped up his trip to Bolivia with a visit to its notoriously violent and overcrowded Palmasola prison.

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Female inmates, some holding their babies, shout, "We want your blessing!" as the Pope leaves Palmasola prison on July 10.

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Pope Francis and Bolivian President Evo Morales wear traditional Bolivian hats Thursday, July 9, during the second World Meeting of Popular Movements in Santa Cruz.

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The Pope officiates a Mass at the square of Christ the Redeemer in Santa Cruz on July 9.

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A beggar asks for donations near a site in Santa Cruz where people were gathering to see the Pope pass by on July 9.

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Morales presents the Pope with a gift of a crucifix carved into a wooden hammer and sickle -- the Communist symbol uniting labor and peasants -- in La Paz, Bolivia, on Wednesday, July 8.

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Pope Francis leaves the airport in El Alto, Bolivia, on his way to La Paz on July 8.

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Pope Francis waves goodbye as he prepares to depart Quito, Ecuador, on July 8.

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The Pope is cheered upon his arrival at the St. Francis Church in Quito on Tuesday, July 7.

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The Pope hugs a child during his visit to the San Francisco Church in Quito on July 7.

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A crowd watches Francis on a video screen as he poses for a selfie during his visit to the Catholic University in Quito on July 7.

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A disabled woman in Quito is lifted in a wheelchair during a Mass officiated by Pope Francis on July 7.

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Pope Francis takes the stage for the Mass at Quito's Bicentennial Park on July 7.

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People carry an image of the Virgin Mary of Sorrow prior to the Mass at Bicentennial Park on July 7.

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Pope Francis, center, prays outside the Cathedral of Quito on Monday, July 6.

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Pope Francis celebrates a Mass at Samanes Park in Guayaquil, Ecuador, on July 6.

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People wave as Pope Francis leaves the Apostolic Nunciature in Quito on July 6.

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A woman holds up an Ecuadorian flag in a crowd of people waiting in Guayaquil on July 6. More than 1 million were expected to attend the Mass. Many camped out overnight.

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Pope Francis and Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa exchange gifts at the government palace in Quito on July 6.

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Catholics wait outside the Apostolic Nunciature in Quito on July 6.

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The Pope greets supporters in downtown Quito on Sunday, July 5.

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Correa welcomes Pope Francis to Quito on July 5.

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A gust of wind blows off Pope Francis' skullcap upon his arrival at the Mariscal Sucre International Airport in Quito on July 5.

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Nuns and faithful wait for Pope Francis to pass by after his arrival in Quito on July 5.

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A woman is wheeled past a banner with an image of Pope Francis at Samanes Park on July 5.

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Story highlights

Pope Francis returning to Rome after a momentous visit to his native South America

His words on behalf of the poor and the environment has reverberated throughout the world

(CNN)He chatted with presidents and prisoners, visited a muddy slum and magnificent shrines, praised the simple piety of children and excoriated greedy capitalists.

On Sunday night, as Pope Francis finally flies home to Rome, he leaves South America's "forgotten countries" with moments that many will likely never forget.

He took dozens of selfies, shook hundreds of hands and celebrated Mass before millions.

But for the most part, the 78-year-old Argentine seemed energized by the people of Ecuador, Bolivia and Paraguay -- countries that haven't seen a pope on their soil in a generation.

Here are the most fascinating moments of Francis' eight-day excursion in South America:

The 'altar of money'

Pope Francis delivered a biting critique of contemporary capitalism on Saturday, saying the poor are often sacrificed on the "altar of money" and accusing the wealthy of worshipping a new "golden calf."

"Certainly every culture needs economic growth and the creation of wealth," the Pope told a group of civic leaders in Paraguay, the final stop of his weeklong trip to three South American countries.

But political and business leaders have a responsibility to ensure that some profits reach the pockets of the poor, he said.

"I ask them not to yield to an economic model which is idolatrous, which needs to sacrifice human lives on the altar of money and profit," Francis said.

The Pope also said he gets "snotty" when he hears highfalutin speeches from politicians that "everyone knows are liars." He compared corrupt regimes that convict political opponents on bogus charges to Hitler and Stalin.

And he said the worshipping of golden calves -- an ancient form of paganism -- has "returned in a new and ruthless guise in the idolatry of money."

Francis' fierce condemnations of economic inequality led some -- including leftist Bolivian President Evo Morales -- to say the Pope is preaching socialism.

But the Pope said Saturday that his concern for the poor comes from the heart of Christianity.

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President and the prisoners

That's a fancy way of saying that he tries to meet people where they're at -- and there's no better example then visiting a prison.

On Friday morning, the Pope went to Santa Cruz-Palmasola, the largest and most notorious prison in Bolivia. The men's facility, where the Pope met prisoners and their families, holds about 2,800 inmates.

"I could not leave Bolivia without seeing you," Francis told the prisoners, earning a hearty cheer.

He was leaning forward, attentive, making eye contact with the three prisoners who shared the stage with him and delivered short speeches. It was a contrast from Thursday night, when Francis appeared to be a bit wearied by Bolivian President Evo Morales' very long speech.

I don't want to read too much into this -- Morales' speech was at the end of a long day for Francis. But it's worth noting the difference, which you can see in the video below.

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Pope Francis visits President, prisoners in Bolivia

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The Pope apologizes

Pope Francis apologized for the "many grave sins" committed by Christians against indigenous peoples in South America during the colonization of the continent by Spain several centuries ago.

In a speech largely dedicated to decrying a "new colonialism," in which corporations and banks take the place of colonizing nation-states, the Pope acknowledged Thursday that the Catholic Church's history is not entirely free from transgression.

"I say this to you with regret," Francis said during a speech to grassroots movements in Santa Cruz, Bolivia. "Many grave sins were committed against the native peoples of America in the name of God."

As the Pope noted, his predecessors, including St. John Paul II, had acknowledged the church's soiled history in South America.

Francis' apology goes further than previous pontiffs, said Andrew Chesnut, a scholar of Catholicism and Latin America at Virginia Commonwealth University.

"Pope Francis' apology, the fullest ever, is the most significant aspect of his trip thus far."

Chesnut added that it will be interesting to see whether Francis also apologizes when he visits Cuba in September. The Jesuits were the "largest corporate slaveholders in Brazil," where they imported slaves from the Caribbean, the scholar said.

Francis made a point of reaching out to native peoples during his trip.

The 'devil's dung'

The Pope delivered a sharp condemnation of modern capitalism on Thursday night, calling the "unfettered pursuit of money" the "dung of the devil" and accusing world leaders of "cowardice" for refusing to defend the Earth from exploitation.

Speaking to grassroots organizers in Bolivia, the Pope urged the poor and disenfranchised to rise up against "new colonialism," including corporations, loan agencies, free trade treaties, austerity measures and "the monopolizing of the communications media."

1. "And behind all this pain, death and destruction there is the stench of what Basil of Caesarea, one of the church's first theologians, called 'the dung of the devil.' An unfettered pursuit of money rules. That is the dung of the devil."

2. "Working for a just distribution of the fruits of the earth and human labor is not mere philanthropy. It is a moral obligation. For Christians, the responsibility is even greater: it is a commandment."

3. "Our common home is being pillaged, laid waste and harmed with impunity. Cowardice in defending it is a grave sin. We see with growing disappointment how one international summit after another takes place without any significant result."

Pope Francis also called the recent persecution of Christians a "genocide."

A Communist crucifix

On Wednesday evening in Bolivia, Morales presented Francis with wooden crucifix laid atop a hammer and sickle, the communist symbol conceived during the Russian Revolution.

Bolivian President Evo Morales presents Pope Francis with a gift of a crucifix carved into a wooden hammer and sickle, the communist symbol uniting labor and peasants in La Paz, Bolivia, on July 8.

The links and battles between communism and the Catholic Church are an extremely sensitive subject in Latin America, the Pope's home continent. While he was an archbishop in Argentina, Francis tried to strike a delicate balance between championing the poor and avoiding class warfare.

According to reports, Morales told Francis that the "communist crucifix" was modeled on a design created by the Rev. Luis Espinal, a politically active priest murdered in Bolivia in 1980. (The Pope stopped and prayed at the site of the shooting on Wednesday evening.)

Francis gets the nun's rush

A visibly winded Pope Francis landed in La Paz, Bolivia -- one of the world's highest capitals -- on Wednesday.

Vatican officials say the Pope did not chew coca leaves, as had been widely discussed. But he did drink coca tea, another South American remedy for altitude sickness, on the plane ride from Ecuador to Bolivia.

For all the concern about altitude sickness, though, a Catholic nun might have given Francis his most surprising moment when she rushed toward him at La Paz Cathedral.

The Pope quickly recovered, and gave the nuns a blessing, as you can see in the video below.

A papal pep talk

Addressing priests and nuns in Ecuador on Wednesday, the Pope said he had prepared a speech -- but didn't want to deliver it.

Instead, the pontiff spoke spontaneously for about 30 minutes, in a speech that showcased his sprightly sense of humor.

He teased nuns who would rather watch soap operas than care for the needy. He joked that he doesn't remember quotes and Bible passages as well as he once did. And he warned priests, and bishops for that matter, not to fall prey to "spiritual Alzheimer's," a punchy phrase he has used quite often in the past few years.

The word that Francis kept coming back to is "gratuidad," mentioning it at least a dozen times during the papal pep talk. Translated into English the word is somewhat clunky: gratuitousness.

I asked a translator I've been working with a little more about "gratuidad." Is it common word in Spanish, I wondered?

The Metropolitan Cathedral in Asuncion is illuminated in the colors of the Paraguayan flag during evening prayers with Pope Francis on Saturday, July 11.

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Pope Francis prays at the Shrine of the Virgin of Caacupe on July 11.

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Paraguayan President Horacio Cartes, center left, and Argentinian President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, center right, attend a mass at the Shrine of the Virgin of Caacupe in Caacupe, Paraguay, on July 11.

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Pope Francis embraces two children as he speaks at the Acosta Nu pediatric hospital in San Lorenzo, Paraguay, on July 11.

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A member of the security detail holds an umbrella over Pope Francis upon his arrival in Asuncion on Friday, July 10.

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Pope Francis waves from a golf cart after visiting with prisoners in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, on July 10. The Pope wrapped up his trip to Bolivia with a visit to its notoriously violent and overcrowded Palmasola prison.

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Female inmates, some holding their babies, shout, "We want your blessing!" as the Pope leaves Palmasola prison on July 10.

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Pope Francis and Bolivian President Evo Morales wear traditional Bolivian hats Thursday, July 9, during the second World Meeting of Popular Movements in Santa Cruz.

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The Pope officiates a Mass at the square of Christ the Redeemer in Santa Cruz on July 9.

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A beggar asks for donations near a site in Santa Cruz where people were gathering to see the Pope pass by on July 9.

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Morales presents the Pope with a gift of a crucifix carved into a wooden hammer and sickle -- the Communist symbol uniting labor and peasants -- in La Paz, Bolivia, on Wednesday, July 8.

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Pope Francis leaves the airport in El Alto, Bolivia, on his way to La Paz on July 8.

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Pope Francis waves goodbye as he prepares to depart Quito, Ecuador, on July 8.

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The Pope is cheered upon his arrival at the St. Francis Church in Quito on Tuesday, July 7.

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The Pope hugs a child during his visit to the San Francisco Church in Quito on July 7.

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A crowd watches Francis on a video screen as he poses for a selfie during his visit to the Catholic University in Quito on July 7.

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A disabled woman in Quito is lifted in a wheelchair during a Mass officiated by Pope Francis on July 7.

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Pope Francis takes the stage for the Mass at Quito's Bicentennial Park on July 7.

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People carry an image of the Virgin Mary of Sorrow prior to the Mass at Bicentennial Park on July 7.

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Pope Francis, center, prays outside the Cathedral of Quito on Monday, July 6.

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Pope Francis celebrates a Mass at Samanes Park in Guayaquil, Ecuador, on July 6.

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People wave as Pope Francis leaves the Apostolic Nunciature in Quito on July 6.

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A woman holds up an Ecuadorian flag in a crowd of people waiting in Guayaquil on July 6. More than 1 million were expected to attend the Mass. Many camped out overnight.

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Pope Francis and Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa exchange gifts at the government palace in Quito on July 6.

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Catholics wait outside the Apostolic Nunciature in Quito on July 6.

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The Pope greets supporters in downtown Quito on Sunday, July 5.

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Correa welcomes Pope Francis to Quito on July 5.

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A gust of wind blows off Pope Francis' skullcap upon his arrival at the Mariscal Sucre International Airport in Quito on July 5.

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Nuns and faithful wait for Pope Francis to pass by after his arrival in Quito on July 5.

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A woman is wheeled past a banner with an image of Pope Francis at Samanes Park on July 5.

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In recent months, indigenous groups have protested Correa, saying that his promotion of drilling and mining near the Amazon rainforest could ruin their ancestral homeland.

The Pope left little doubt about whose side he takes.

"The tapping of natural resources, which are so abundant in Ecuador, must not be concerned with short-term benefits," Francis said.

It was interesting to see the Pope speak so specifically about his host country's environmental policies. An apt analogy might be Francis coming out against the Keystone Pipeline when he addresses the U.S. Congress this September.

A real education

In an impassioned speech at Catholic university in Ecuador, the Pope urged students to "make a fuss" and told teachers not to "play the professor."

"As a university, as educational institutions, as teachers and students, life itself challenges us to answer this question: What does the world need us for? Where is your brother?"

Like a teacher underlining an important point -- Francis taught high school and was rector of a college in Argentina -- the Pope raised his voice and pumped his arms.

He told students, who cheered at the mention of their name, a good education should encourage greater responsibility to the needs of the poor and concern for the environment.

'Scandalous' changes?

Most likely, he was referring to how the church ministers to divorced Catholics and LGBT families.

After the Mass, the Pope met an old friend and had lunch with the Jesuit community. (Francis is the first Jesuit pope.) He also took many, many selfies throughout the day and shook many, many hands.

It's clear that Ecuadorians were elated about seeing the first Latin American Pope's on his first trip to Spanish-speaking countries. This gallery of papal memorabilia conveys some of the essence.

Photos:Pope memorabilia in South America

A street vendor sells cutout images of Pope Francis near the airport in El Alto, Bolivia, on Wednesday, July 8. Memorabilia is being sold across South America to commemorate the Pope's eight-day tour of Ecuador, Bolivia and Paraguay.

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Multicolored crucifixes are sold near the airport in El Alto on July 8.

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A woman in Quito, Ecuador, sells images and a bust of Pope Francis on Monday, July 6.

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Religious memorabilia is sold in Asuncion, Paraguay, on July 6.

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A street vendor sells commemorative flags at the entrance of Samanes Park in Guayaquil, Ecuador, on Sunday, July 5.

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Pope buttons are sold at Samanes Park on July 5.

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A street vendor sells a Pope Francis crucifix at Samanes Park on July 5.

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Pope T-shirts are sold in the streets of Guayaquil on July 5.

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Images of the Pope are sold outside of Samanes Park on July 5.

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Late Monday night, the Pope said goodnight and went to bed. Except the crowd wouldn't let him, singing and praying outside the Vatican Embassy, where he's stayed in Quito.